Frank Castle and Me

As maybe some of you have read on Bleeding Cool, I am writing a Punisher MAX book. I have a pretty busy schedule today, but I'm taking a few minutes just to say some words about the project.

Rich Johnston's article might sound like a lot of hype, but I guarantee you this is a book that not only lives up to the hype but surpasses it. It is an unique experience in the realm of comic books (which I realize you hear all the time, but it's true in this case), and I think you will enjoy it.

I remember first reading the Punisher's adventures when I was in middle school. It was that first miniseries by Steven Grant and Mike Zeck. I wasn't even allowed to buy these sort of comics, I had to borrow them from other kids and read them in school. And that miniseries had a big impact on me. I never read anything like that before, only funny animal & superhero books.


Theoretically, Punisher was in the same universe as Spider-Man and the rest. But this was a different type of comic book. Everything about that mini-series, including Zeck's dynamic & bone-crushing art, blew my mind.

So when at the ripe age of about 13 I decided I was going to pitch to Marvel and become a famous comic book writer, I pitched a Punisher story. And I got a call back from an editor at Marvel telling me he liked the story & offering me an internship. But alas I was way too young to qualify for the internship. I remember the editor being shocked as to how young I was.

I never got any sort of patronizing spiel from this editor as to the Punisher not being the appropriate subject matter for a girl. His biggest advice for me was that as I got older, I would gain more life experience, and that this increased life experience would enrich my writing. So he told me to just be patient, get that life experience, and come back to Marvel when I was older.

And you know? That's exactly what I did.